Explosion at Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon leads to deaths, injuries

Several people were killed in Lebanon today after an explosion at a Palestinian refugee camp. 

The explosion occurred in the Burj al-Shemali refugee camp near the coastal city of Tyre. It specifically happened at a center used by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. The Lebanese army blocked off the camp’s access points as a result, and people in the surrounding areas heard the explosions, the official National News Agency reported late Friday night local time. 

The agency did not immediately report specifics on the casualties, but reported some people were killed and injured. 

There are more than 100,000 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon. They came to Lebanon following the first Arab-Israeli war in 1947-48. Many of the refugees and their descendants still live in camps, and face restrictions on employment, citizenship and more. 

Various Palestinian armed groups operate in the refugee camps, including Hamas. 

This is a developing story…